Stay
by PhoenixxFyre
Summary: Erza comes back from a job and has a surprise encounter with Jellal. Jerza.


**A/N: This is just a little Jerza fanfiction for Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy it. :)**

 **Disclaimer: Own Fairy Tail? Ha! I wish!**

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The cold mid-February air whipped past Erza's face, blowing snow and scarlet hair into her eyes. She stopped walking only to tie her hair back and continued her pace once she secured it into a tight ponytail.

Erza had just come back from a job, her first one alone since the battle with Zeref. Before the jobs, she was helping other guilds rebuild cities that had been destroyed during the war. Finally, when that was done, she had started taking job requests again, and her life had almost gone back to normal.

Almost. Meeting her mother had certainly been a shock, and she could never forget about such an encounter. And Jellal. She hadn't spoken to him in a long time-at least since the war ended. She couldn't forget the sense of panic she felt when he nearly sacrificed himself to imprison Acnologia.

She could only hope he wouldn't try anything that stupid again. Thinking about her childhood friend, she felt a pang of sadness deep within her heart. Not a day went by when she didn't think about him. Tears burned behind her eyes, and Erza shut them to hold them back. She would not cry. Not over something as childish as unreturned affection.

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath of the icy winter air. She needed to clear her head, or at least distract herself somehow. She opened the door to her favorite cake shop and purchased at least fifteen cakes. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day, after all, so why not celebrate it with the friends she loved?

She exited the shop and tightened the scarf around her neck. The temperature seemed to have dropped at least five degrees while she was inside. Shivering, she trudged back to Fairy Hills, the cake bags looped around her forearms.

When Fairy Hills was finally in sight, Erza picked up her pace, only to bump into someone's shoulder. The cake bags tumbled from her arms and she yelped, reaching out for them but grabbed only air.

"Here," said a familiar masculine voice. Erza stared into the face of Jellal, vaguely aware of the bags in his outstretched hand. Dazedly, she accepted them from him, not once breaking eye contact.

"Jellal," she said softly, her emotions finally kicking in. "What are you doing here?"

"We just eradicated a dark guild. We were passing this way and I decided to stop by to check on you."

"Oh...I see..." Erza trailed off, feeling a lump form in her throat. "I should go. The guild will probably begin partying in the morning. Wouldn't want to miss it. Goodnight!" She turned away from him and began walking back to Fairy Hills.

"Erza, wait!" His hand closed around her arm, stopping her from leaving him.

"Why?" she said quietly, the tears finally falling from her eyes. "Why bother stopping by when you're just going to leave again? What's the point in that?" Her voice cracked when she finished speaking and she cringed, hating how choked up she sounded, hated the tears that leaked out of her eyes, and most of all, hated that she wanted him to stay with her, even if it was just for a day.

"Erza, I-"

"Don't! I'm tired of being alone because of you! If you're not going to stay, even if it's for a short time, then leave me alone!" She yanked her arm back from him and walked away, leaving Jellal staring at her retreating form. Erza bit her lip, hoping to stifle the sobs rising from her throat. She was so childish, yelling at him and crying over him. She was better than this.

The crunch of snow underneath boots and heavy pants made Erza turn around once more. Jellal stopped in front of her, placing his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths. Erza looked at him with a mixture of surprise and doubt. She hoped he didn't run all this way to explain himself. She didn't need to hear it.

The slight brush of lips against her own was enough to stop her thoughts from going any further. His hands rose to cup the sides of her face, and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. Her mind flashed back to their almost-kiss during the guild's training. She had imagined this moment many times since that day, and it was better than any fantasy she had dreamed up. The kiss deepened for just a moment before it ended, and the warmth of his lips was replaced by the cool wind.

"I have at least four days before I have to go on another mission. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay a few days."

Erza grinned before standing slightly on her toes to press a short, sweet kiss to his lips. They stared at each other for several minutes before Erza hugged the bags to her chest and turned back to Fairy Hills. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go in."

They crept up the stairs and into Erza's warm apartment. Her tears and disappointment were all but forgotten since he kissed her. She was glad he was going to stay. They took off their winter apparel and grabbed a cake box before heading into her bedroom. Fourteen cakes were more than enough for the guild.

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 **A/N: And this is the end of the fic. Honestly, I feel like I made it a little too angst-y...oh well. Did you like it? Please let me know. Your opinion matters to me as a writer. Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!**


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